Behind Charleston’s Most Famous Gates: The Sword Gate House Asks a Record $35 Million

Some of the most iconic ironwork in Charleston, SC, guards the entrance to a home that’s undergone a complete renovation in the six years since it last changed hands.

The Sword Gate House, at 32 Legare Street is on the market for $35 million, a record-setting ask for Charleston. The estate last sold in 2020 for $10 million.

The house dates to the early 1800s and takes its name from the sword-and-spear gates forged by local ironworker Christopher Werner. British consul George Hopley installed them around 1850, and they’ve drawn crowds of sightseers ever since.

Over two centuries, the property has served as a private residence, a private school, an inn and a vacation retreat. Among its past owners was Jessie Lincoln Randolph, Abraham Lincoln’s granddaughter, who bought it in the 1930s.

The schoolhouse chapter still shapes the property with its towering perimeter walls dating to the 19th century, when the home housed a girls’ academy.

“Anywhere you are on the property, you have complete privacy,” says Leslie Turner, founder and broker of Maison Real Estate, which holds the listing.

The compound totals 17,142 square feet on roughly 0.87 acre, one of the largest residential lots downtown. The main house holds eight bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, plus two powder rooms.

“The current owners spared no expense and touched every surface of the property, both inside and out,” says Turner. The interiors, which are a true feast for the eyes, were created by designer Cortney Bishop.

When the owners bought the home, its only kitchen was a catering setup on the ground floor. They combined two main-level rooms into a new kitchen and informal dining space with a wood-burning fireplace and a piazza for dining outdoors. The original kitchen stayed in place for caterers and staff, “so the main living level can be party-perfect,” says Turner.

The ballroom remains the estate’s centerpiece, with gilded crown molding and a carved mantel. A custom magnolia chandelier hangs in the curved grand staircase, a nod to the centuries-old magnolia that shades the home’s triple piazzas.

The primary suite stretches across the south side of the second floor, with a soaking tub set before a fireplace, two water closets and a dressing room that Turner says “rivals a stylish boutique.”

Outside, the owners added a heated and cooled pool, a fireside dining area and a linear fountain anchored by a glass conservatory. “This fountain has even been topped with a dining table for an unforgettable celebration under the stars,” Turner says.

As if the main house renovation wasn't enough, a stunning two-story carriage house adds three guest suites, including one with a full kitchen. Two gated driveways and a two-car garage round out the property.

The estate is also a short walk from King Street’s shops and galleries. 

“For today’s luxury buyer, time is the ultimate luxury,” she says. “All the hard work of design, restoration, renovation, and investment have already been completed.”